Insulated beverage holder with handle

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a simple to construct insulated beverage container jacket with a built-in handle or strap. The apparatus may be constructed of foamed urethane or neoprene (or the like) which may be covered with cloth on the outside surface (or both inside and outside surfaces). The apparatus may be formed such that it may be constructed from a single blank of material or from a limited number of pieces of material, in order to reduce the amount of cutting and sewing or gluing necessary to manufacture the item. The handle or strap may be provided as a wide portion of neoprene or foamed polyurethane (or the like) on one or both sides of the apparatus. The width of the handle or strap allows the user to securely hold the apparatus and also allows a logo or design to be displayed on the apparatus. The width of the handle or strap also provides strength to the handle or strap when made of such materials such as 3 mm neoprene or the like.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims priority from Provisional U.S.patent application Ser. No. 60/453,554, filed on Mar. 12, 2003 andincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to insulated beverage holders andcontainers. In particular, the present invention is directed toward abeverage holder having an attached handle or strap for carrying abeverage container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Insulated beverage container holders are known in the art, andsoled under such trade names as KOOZIES and the like. Many areconstructed from polyurethane foam tubing, cut to suitable lengths, andfitted with a flat round bottom piece of similar foam material, usuallyprovided with a drain hole.

[0004] These original flexible beverage containers suffered from anumber of drawbacks. The glues used to attach the two pieces togetheroften failed over time (or even in transit to the stores), and withoutthe bottom piece in place, the apparatus had to be discarded. The itemswere also bulky and thus more difficult to ship. Attempts to compressthese Prior Art KOOZIES would aggravate the glue seam failure problem.In addition, these devices, being rather primitive, were also not veryaesthetically pleasing.

[0005] Even earlier devices attempted to use Styrofoam as an insulationmaterial. However, the durability and shipping characteristics of suchdevices has proven problematic, and they have largely disappeared fromthe market.

[0006] Other types of insulated beverage containers are known. Forbottled beverages, insulated jackets are known made from polyurethane orwetsuit materials, provided with a zipper or Velcro™ fastener, toencapsulate a bottle with flexible foam insulating material. While thesedevices are attractive and well made, the cost of installing zippers orother fasteners makes them somewhat expensive.

[0007] Long, U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,734, issued Sep. 17, 1991 andincorporated herein by reference, discloses an insulated containerjacket with a belt loop. This belt loop is attached via Velcro™ typefasteners and is a fairly complicated multi-piece design.

[0008] A one-piece beverage cooler is known in the art and serves as abasis for the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 11-20illustrate this Prior Art beverage holder. FIG. 11 is a frontperspective view of the insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 of aprior art illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 inits field of use. As illustrated in FIG. 11, when a can 130 is insertedinto the apparatus 100, the apparatus 100 assumes a roughly cylindricalshape of can 130. Note that bottles and other containers may be insertedinto the apparatus 100 as well as cans 130. In this prior art, thehandle 110 of the first embodiment is omitted to make a more compact andless expensive to produce design.

[0009] As illustrated in FIG. 11, a number of fingers of a persons hand120 may wrap around the apparatus 100, securely holding the combined can130 and insulated beverage container holder 100. Note the large surfacearea of the apparatus 100 lends itself to the application of logos,designs and the like.

[0010]FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder 100 of the prior art, from the reverse side of FIG. 11,illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 in its field ofuse. The apparatus 100 may be foamed of foamed polyurethane, neoprene,or the like. In one embodiment, neoprene (e.g., wetsuit material) ofapproximately 3 mm thickness may be used. Other thicknesses may be useddepending upon desired insulation qualities and cost targets. Forexample, thicknesses may range from 1 mm to 9 mm, but in the preferredembodiment is 3 mm to 6 mm thick.

[0011]FIG. 13 is a flattened, partially disassembled view of insulatedone-piece beverage holder 100 of the prior art presented solely for thepurposes of better understanding the appearance of the prior art in theassembled form and the construction of the apparatus in assembled form.As illustrated in FIG. 13, in one embodiment of the present invention,the cylindrical portion of the apparatus 100 may be formed from a singlepiece of cut foamed polyurethane or neoprene in the pattern illustratedin FIG. 13, comprising three portions; a first rectangular section 100A,a second rectangular section 100B, and a roughly circular portion 150connecting first rectangular section 100A and second rectangular section100B. Stitching section 140 may be used, as will be illustrated below,to assemble the apparatus 100.

[0012]FIG. 14 is a left side elevational view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder 100 of the prior art illustrating the insulatedone-piece beverage holder 100 in its intended field of use with a can130 inserted therein. FIG. 15 is a right side elevational view of theinsulated one-piece beverage holder 100 of the prior art illustratingthe insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 in its intended field of usewith a can 130 inserted therein.

[0013]FIG. 16 is a front elevational view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder 100 of the prior art, from the reverse side of FIG. 14,illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 in its intendedfield of use with a can 130 inserted therein. FIG. 17 is a rearelevational view of the insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 of theprior art, from the reverse side of FIG. 15, illustrating the insulatedone-piece beverage holder 100 in its intended field of use with a can130 inserted therein.

[0014] In FIGS. 14-17, the stitched 140 and un-stitched portions 155 ofthe design are illustrated. The un-stitched portions 155 allow theapparatus 100 to fold flat when not in use, making it easier to storeand ship. These un-stitched portions 155 also allow the apparatus 100 to“breath” and drain any condensate or water from within. Note that whileillustrated as stitched, other forms of attachment may be used withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the prior art. For example, heatwelding, ultrasonic welding, glues or other adhesives or evenhook-and-loop fasteners may be used.

[0015]FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the insulated one-piece beverageholder 100 of the prior art. FIG. 19 is a top view of the insulatedone-piece beverage holder 100 of the prior art, illustrated in the fieldof use with a can 130 inserted therein. FIG. 20 is a bottom view of theinsulated one-piece beverage holder 100 of the prior art. These Figuresfurther illustrate unstitched portions 155. The apparatus 100 may besized for a conventional soda or beer can, or may be made in other sizesfor larger or smaller cans (e.g., juice can or 22 oz beer can, or thelike), or bottles of glass or plastic.

[0016] What is needed in the art is an insulated container jacket whichmay be readily manufactured inexpensively, and also shipped flat orcompressed without damage, and provide a handle or strap or the like ina manner which does not complicate the design or adversely increase thedesign cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The present invention provides a simple to construct insulatedbeverage container jacket with a built-in handle or strap. The apparatusmay be constructed of foamed urethane or neoprene (or the like), whichmay be covered with cloth on the outside surface (or both inside andoutside surfaces). The apparatus may be formed such that it may beconstructed from a single blank of material or from a limited number ofpieces of material, in order to reduce the amount of cutting and sewingor gluing necessary to manufacture the item.

[0018] The handle or strap may be provided as a wide portion of neopreneor foamed polyurethane (or the like) on one or both sides of theapparatus. The width of the handle or strap allows the user to securelyhold the apparatus and also allows a logo or design to be displayed onthe apparatus. The width of the handle or strap also provides strengthto the handle or strap when made of such materials such as 3 mm neopreneor the like. In the preferred embodiment the handle or strap is in therange or 2.5″ to 4″ wide (preferably about 3″ wide).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder with handle of the present invention illustrating theinsulated one-piece beverage holder with handle in its field of use.

[0020]FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder with handle of the present invention, from the reverseside of FIG. 1, illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holderwith handle in its field of use.

[0021]FIG. 3 is a flattened, partially disassembled view of insulatedone-piece beverage holder with handle of the present invention presentedsolely for the purposes of better understanding the appearance of thepresent invention in the assembled form.

[0022]FIG. 4 is a left side elevational view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder with handle of the present invention illustrating theinsulated one-piece beverage holder with handle in its intended field ofuse with a can inserted therein.

[0023]FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder with handle of the present invention illustrating theinsulated one-piece beverage holder with handle in its intended field ofuse with a can inserted therein. Note that the handle portion extendsaround the side of the apparatus and appears thin in this view as it isviewed from the side.

[0024]FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder with handle of the present invention, from the reverseside of FIG. 4, illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holderwith handle in its intended field of use with a can inserted therein.

[0025]FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder with handle of the present invention, from the reverseside of FIG. 5, illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holderwith handle in its intended field of use with a can inserted therein.

[0026]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the insulated one-piece beverageholder with handle of the present invention.

[0027]FIG. 9 is a top view of the insulated one-piece beverage holderwith handle of the present invention, illustrated in the field of usewith a can inserted therein.

[0028]FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the insulated one-piece beverageholder with handle of the present invention.

[0029]FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder of the prior art illustrating the insulated one-piecebeverage holder in its field of use.

[0030]FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder of the prior art, from the reverse side of FIG. 1,illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder in its field ofuse.

[0031]FIG. 13 is a flattened, partially disassembled view of insulatedone-piece beverage holder of the prior art presented solely for thepurposes of better understanding the appearance of the prior art in theassembled form.

[0032]FIG. 14 is a left side elevational view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder of the prior art illustrating the insulated one-piecebeverage holder in its intended field of use with a can insertedtherein.

[0033]FIG. 15 is a right side elevational view of the insulatedone-piece beverage holder of the prior art illustrating the insulatedone-piece beverage holder in its intended field of use with a caninserted therein. Note that the handle portion extends around the sideof the apparatus and appears thin in this view as it is viewed from theside.

[0034]FIG. 16 is a front elevational view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder of the prior art, from the reverse side of FIG. 4,illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder in its intendedfield of use with a can inserted therein.

[0035]FIG. 17 is a rear elevational view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder of the prior art, from the reverse side of FIG. 5,illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder in its intendedfield of use with a can inserted therein.

[0036]FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the insulated one-piece beverageholder of the prior art.

[0037]FIG. 19 is a top view of the insulated one-piece beverage holderof the prior art, illustrated in the field of use with a can insertedtherein.

[0038]FIG. 20 is a bottom view of the insulated one-piece beverageholder of the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0039]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder 100 with handle 110 of a present invention illustratingthe insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110 in its fieldof use. As illustrated in FIG. 1, when a can 130 is inserted into theapparatus 100, the apparatus 100 assumes a roughly cylindrical shape ofcan 130. Note that bottles and other containers may be inserted into theapparatus 100 as well as cans 130.

[0040] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a number of fingers of a persons hand120 may inserted into handle or strap 110, securely holding the combinedcan 130 and insulated beverage container holder 100. Note the largesurface area of the handle or strap 110 lends itself to the applicationof logos, designs and the like. Moreover, the location and use of thehandle or strap 110 places the logo in a position away from the usersuch that it may be visible to others.

[0041] . FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder 100 with handle 110 of the present invention, from thereverse side of FIG. 1, illustrating the insulated one-piece beverageholder 100 with handle 110 in its field of use. The apparatus 100 may beformed of foamed polyurethane, neoprene, or the like. In one embodiment,neoprene (e.g., wetsuit material) of approximately 3 mm thickness may beused. Other thicknesses may be used depending upon desired insulationqualities and cost targets.

[0042]FIG. 3 is a flattened, partially disassembled view of insulatedone-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110 of the present inventionpresented solely for the purposes of better understanding the appearanceof the present invention in the assembled form and the construction ofthe apparatus in assembled form. As illustrated in FIG. 3, in oneembodiment of the present invention, the cylindrical portion of theapparatus 100 may be formed from a single piece of cut foamedpolyurethane or neoprene in the pattern illustrated in FIG. 3,comprising three portions; a first rectangular section 100A, a secondrectangular section 100B, and a roughly circular portion 150 connectingfirst rectangular section 100A and second rectangular section 100B.Stitching section 140 may be used, as will be illustrated below, toassemble the apparatus 100.

[0043] Handle or strap 110 may comprise an independent portion which maybe sewn to first rectangular section 100A or second rectangular section100B. Alternately, handle or strap 110 of FIG. 3 may be formed as partof this single piece, and folded over at the top of the apparatus 100and stitched together.

[0044]FIG. 4 is a left side elevational view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder 100 with handle 110 of the present inventionillustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110in its intended field of use with a can 130 inserted therein. FIG. 5 isa right side elevational view of the insulated one-piece beverage holder100 with handle 110 of the present invention illustrating the insulatedone-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110 in its intended field ofuse with a can 130 inserted therein. Note that the handle or strap 110portion extends around the side of the apparatus 100 and appears thin inthis view as it is viewed from the side.

[0045]FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder 100 with handle 110 of the present invention, from thereverse side of FIG. 4, illustrating the insulated one-piece beverageholder 100 with handle 110 in its intended field of use with a can 130inserted therein. FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of the insulatedone-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110 of the present invention,from the reverse side of FIG. 5, illustrating the insulated one-piecebeverage holder 100 with handle in 110 its intended field of use with acan 130 inserted therein.

[0046] In FIGS. 4-7, the stitched 140 and un-stitched portions 155 ofthe design are illustrated. The un-stitched portions 155 allow theapparatus 100 to fold flat when not in use, making it easier to storeand ship. These un-stitched portions 155 also allow the apparatus 100 to“breath” and drain any condensate or water from within. Note that whileillustrated as stitched, other forms of attachment may be used withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Forexample, heat welding, ultrasonic welding, glues or other adhesives oreven hook-and-loop fasteners may be used.

[0047]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the insulated one-piece beverageholder 100 with handle 110 of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a topview of the insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110 ofthe present invention, illustrated in the field of use with a can 130inserted therein. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the insulated one-piecebeverage holder 100 with handle 110 of the present invention. TheseFigures further illustrate how wide the handle or strap 110 may be inrelation to the overall apparatus 100 and also illustrate unstitchedportions 155. The apparatus 100 may be sized for a conventional soda orbeer can, or may be made in other sizes for larger or smaller cans(e.g., juice can or 22 oz beer can, or the like), or bottles of glass orplastic.

[0048] The handle or strap 110 portion of the present invention may alsobe applied to designs other than as shown in the drawings. For example,the handle or strap 110 may be applied to a Prior Art KOOZIE or the likestitched or glued to the side of the KOOZIE.

[0049] While the preferred embodiment and various alternativeembodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described in detailherein, it may be apparent to those skilled in the art that variouschanges in form and detail may be made therein without departing fromthe spirit and scope thereof.

We claim:
 1. An insulated beverage holder, comprising: a beverage holderformed from a single sheet of flexible material, the beverage holdercomprising: a first rectangular portion formed from the flexiblematerial; a second rectangular portion formed from the flexiblematerial; and a substantially round portion, contiguous with the firstrectangular section and the second rectangular section, also formed fromthe flexible material, the substantially round section located betweenthe first rectangular portion and the second rectangular portion suchthat the first rectangular portion and the second rectangular portionare located at opposite peripheral sides of the substantially roundportion, wherein the first rectangular portion and the secondrectangular portion are attached to one another by an attachment meansso as to form a substantially cylindrical shape with the substantiallyround portion forming an at least partially sealed bottom to thesubstantially cylindrical shape; the insulated beverage holder furthercomprising a strap, attached to at least one of the first rectangularportion and the second rectangular portion by the attachment means. 2.The insulated beverage holder of claim 1, wherein the flexible materialcomprises at least one of foamed polyurethane and neoprene.
 3. Theinsulated beverage holder of claim 1, wherein the attachment meanscomprises at least one of stitching, heat welding, ultrasonic welding,adhesives, and hook-and-loop fasteners.
 4. The insulated beverage holderof claim 1, wherein the strap comprises a portion of the flexiblematerial, attached with the attachment means to at least one of thefirst rectangular portion and the second rectangular portion.
 5. Theinsulated beverage holder of claim 1, wherein the strap comprises aportion of the flexible material, contiguous with at least one of thefirst rectangular portion and the second rectangular portion, foldedover and attached with the attachment means to the at least one of thefirst rectangular portion and the second rectangular portion.
 6. Theinsulated beverage holder of claim 4, wherein the strap comprises a wideportion being 2.5 inches to 4 inches in width such that a logo may beapplied to the strap and that the strap securely holds the beverageholder to a hand.
 7. The insulated beverage holder of claim 5, whereinthe strap comprises a wide portion of being 2.5 inches to 4 inches inwidth such that a logo may be applied to the strap and that the strapsecurely holds the beverage holder to a hand.
 8. The insulated beverageholder of claim 1, wherein the strap is formed from the flexiblematerial
 9. The insulated beverage holder of claim 8, wherein theflexible material comprises at least one of foamed polyurethane andneoprene.
 10. A method of making an insulated beverage holder,comprising the steps of: forming a beverage holder from a single sheetof flexible material, the step of forming the beverage holder comprisingthe steps of: forming a first rectangular portion from the flexiblematerial, forming a second rectangular portion from the flexiblematerial, forming a substantially round portion, contiguous with thefirst rectangular section and the second rectangular section, alsoformed from the flexible material, the substantially round sectionlocated between the first rectangular portion and the second rectangularportion such that the first rectangular portion and the secondrectangular portion are located at opposite peripheral sides of thesubstantially round portion, attaching the first rectangular portion andthe second rectangular portion are to one another so as to form asubstantially cylindrical shape with the substantially round portionforming an at least partially sealed bottom to the substantiallycylindrical shape, and attaching a strap to at least one of the firstrectangular portion and the second rectangular portion.
 11. The methodof making an insulated beverage holder of claim 10, wherein the flexiblematerial comprises at least one of foamed polyurethane and neoprene. 12.The method of making an insulated beverage holder of claim 10, whereinthe step of attaching comprises the step of at least one of stitching,heat welding, ultrasonic welding, adhesives, and hook-and-loopfasteners.
 13. The method of making an insulated beverage holder ofclaim 10, wherein the strap comprises a portion of the flexiblematerial, and the step of attaching the strap comprises the step ofattaching the strap to at least one of the first rectangular portion andthe second rectangular portion.
 14. The method of making an insulatedbeverage holder of claim 10, wherein the strap comprises a portion ofthe flexible material, contiguous with at least one of the firstrectangular portion and the second rectangular portion, and the step ofattaching the strap comprises the steps of folding the strap over andattaching the strap to the at least one of the first rectangular portionand tile second rectangular portion.
 15. The method of making aninsulated beverage holder of claim 13, wherein the strap comprises awide portion being 2.5 inches to 4 inches in width such that a logo maybe applied to the strap and that the strap securely holds the beverageholder to a hand.
 16. The method of making an insulated beverage holderof claim 14, wherein the strap comprises a wide portion of being 2.5inches to 4 inches in width such that a logo may be applied to the strapand that the strap securely holds the beverage holder to a hand.
 17. Themethod of making an insulated beverage holder of claim 10, wherein thestrap is formed from the flexible material.
 18. The method of making aninsulated beverage holder of claim 17, wherein the flexible materialcomprises at least one of foamed polyurethane and neoprene.
 19. Aninsulated beverage holder, comprising: a beverage holder formed from aflexible material, the beverage holder comprising: a strap, attached tothe beverage holder by an attachment means wherein the strap comprises awide portion being 2.5 inches to 4 inches in width such that a logo maybe applied to the strap and that the strap securely holds the beverageholder to a hand.
 20. The insulated beverage holder of claim 19, whereinthe flexible material comprises at least one of foamed polyurethane andneoprene.
 21. The insulated beverage holder of claim 19, wherein theattachment means comprises at least one of stitching, heat welding,ultrasonic welding, adhesives, and hook-and-loop fasteners.
 22. Theinsulated beverage holder of claim 19, wherein the flexible materialcomprises at least one of foamed polyurethane and neoprene.